UEFA pays initial Champions League bonuses as Italian clubs collect nearly €150 million

Key Takeaways

• UEFA has distributed over €1.3 billion in initial prize money for the 2026/27 Champions League.
• Italian sides Inter, Napoli, Roma, and Como collected a combined total exceeding €147 million.
• Inter claimed the highest payout among Serie A clubs, receiving nearly €42 million across participation and value pillar fees.

Over €1.3 billion distributed in opening Champions League payout

The 2026/27 Champions League campaign is barely underway, but participating clubs are already receiving substantial financial rewards. UEFA has initiated the first round of payments for the competition, releasing over €1.3 billion across the qualified teams and playoff casualties.

The disbursement comprises three distinct streams: €643 million allocated toward starting participation fees, €640 million covering 75 percent of the value pillar—which merged the former market pool and historical ranking metrics—and €30 million divided among clubs that were knocked out in the qualifying playoff rounds.

Italian sides claim over €147 million in initial prize money

Serie A sides have secured an immediate financial boost, accumulating over €147 million in this opening tranche. Each Italian participant—Inter, Napoli, Roma, and Como—receives an initial €17.87 million participation payment. The remainder of the guaranteed €18.62 million participation allocation will be disbursed at the end of the competition.

When combined with the value pillar distributions, Inter leads all Italian clubs. The Nerazzurri earned €24.01 million from the 75 percent value pillar calculation, bringing their current total to almost €42 million. Roma trails closely behind with slightly under €23 million from the value pillar and just under €41 million overall. Napoli took in just under €20 million from the value pillar for an overall sum exceeding €37 million. Como, making their entry with no prior historical record in European club competitions, collected slightly under €10 million from the pillar, finishing this round with an overall figure surpassing €27.5 million.